Nowon-gu, Operation of Mild Dementia Management Program

Recruiting 20 Participants (10 Morning, 10 Afternoon) Monday to Friday for 3-Month Memory Enhancement School... Comprising 8 Diverse Programs Including Brain Gymnastics, Art, Cooking, and Music Activities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating a mild dementia management program for seniors aged 60 and over who have been diagnosed with mild dementia but have not applied for long-term care grades or do not have a long-term care grade.

This program, which runs for three months starting in April, is divided into a morning class (9:30 AM to 12:30 PM) and an afternoon class (1:30 PM to 4:30 PM) from Monday to Friday, with three hours of lessons each day. The location is the Life Forest Memory Care School on the 5th floor of Nowon-gu Office.

The number of recruits is 10 people each for the morning and afternoon classes, totaling 20 people.

The program content is mainly twofold. It focuses on number and picture games using tablet PCs to improve memory, judgment, and calculation skills. For brain activation, it is composed of various activities such as group games, brain nerve exercises produced by the Central Dementia Center, art, music, cooking, horticulture, and exercise. Before the class, a nurse checks health, and occupational therapists and external instructors conduct the lessons.

There is no tuition fee, and applications can be made by calling the Nowon-gu Dementia Safety Center at 911-7778. The center sets a date for applicants to visit, conducts cognitive assessments to confirm the degree of mild dementia, and selects education candidates. Applicants must bring a certificate of residence and a mild dementia diagnosis certificate for verification.

In addition to the Memory Care School, the district has installed a daily life training center called ‘Heerakdang’ within the district office, which provides a home-like environment, and operates a daily life training program called HOME LEARN. The purpose is to provide daily living activity training such as eating, bathing, dressing, and fall prevention exercises for dementia and mild cognitive impairment patients.

Education for caregivers and workers is also conducted simultaneously. To ensure safe living at home, residential environment consulting is provided, and safety aids such as motion detection sensors and anti-slip tape that can be used in daily life are supported.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Consistent management is important to fight dementia, for which no treatment has yet been developed,” and added, “We plan to expand dementia prevention and management programs to reduce the burden on families and society caused by the increasing number of dementia patients.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.